Deuteronomy 19

1 When the LORD your God has cut off the nations whose land He is giving you, and when you have driven them out and settled in their cities and houses,

1 “你们的上帝耶和华毁灭那些民族，把他们的土地赐给你们，使你们赶走他们，住进他们的城邑和房屋后，

2 then you are to set apart for yourselves three cities within the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.

2–3 你们要把你们的上帝耶和华赐给你们的土地划分为三个地区，在每个地区设立一座避难城，修好通往这三座城的道路，以便误杀人者可以逃往最近的避难城。

3 You are to build roads for yourselves and divide into three regions the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that any manslayer can flee to these cities.

4 Now this is the situation regarding the manslayer who flees to one of these cities to save his life, having killed his neighbor accidentally, without intending to harm him:

4 “如果有人无意间杀了素无冤仇的同伴，他可以逃往避难城，以保住性命。

5 If he goes into the forest with his neighbor to cut timber and swings his axe to chop down a tree, but the blade flies off the handle and strikes and kills his neighbor, he may flee to one of these cities to save his life.

5 例如，有人和朋友去森林砍树，砍伐时斧头脱柄，误杀了朋友，他就可以逃往其中一座避难城，以保住性命。

6 Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue the manslayer in a rage, overtake him if the distance is great, and strike him dead though he did not deserve to die, since he did not intend any harm.

6 否则，如果避难城离误杀人者太远，怒火中烧的报血仇者就会追上去杀死他。其实他是不该死的，因为他与被误杀的人素无冤仇。

7 This is why I am commanding you to set apart for yourselves three cities.

7 因此，我吩咐你们要设立三座避难城。

8 And if the LORD your God enlarges your territory, as He swore to your fathers, and gives you all the land He promised them,

8–9 “如果你们谨遵我今天吩咐你们的这一切诫命，爱你们的上帝耶和华，一生遵行祂的旨意，祂就会按照祂对你们祖先所起的誓，扩张你们的疆域，把应许给你们祖先的土地都赐给你们。那时，你们要再设三座避难城，

9 and if you carefully keep all these commandments I am giving you today, loving the LORD your God and walking in His ways at all times, then you are to add three more cities to these three.

10 Thus innocent blood will not be shed in the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that you will not be guilty of bloodshed.

10 免得无辜人的血流在你们的上帝耶和华赐给你们作产业之地，以致你们担当枉杀无辜的罪。

11 If, however, a man hates his neighbor and lies in wait, attacks him and kills him, and then flees to one of these cities,

11 “如果有人因憎恨邻居而暗中埋伏，攻击并杀了邻居，然后逃到其中一座避难城，

12 the elders of his city must send for him, bring him back, and hand him over to the avenger of blood to die.

12 他本城的长老要派人去把他带回来，交给报血仇的人，将他处死。

13 You must show him no pity. You are to purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, that it may go well with you.

13 不可怜悯他，要从以色列除掉这种滥杀无辜的罪，这样你们才会顺利。

14 You must not move your neighbor’s boundary marker, which was set up by your ancestors to mark the inheritance you shall receive in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.

14 “在你们的上帝耶和华将要赐给你们作产业之地，你们不可挪动邻居的界石，因为那是先人立的。

15 A lone witness is not sufficient to establish any wrongdoing or sin against a man, regardless of what offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.

15 “无论是什么罪或过失，不可凭一个证人就定人的罪，必须有两三个证人作证才能定案。

16 If a false witness testifies against someone, accusing him of a crime,

16 如果有人作伪证诬陷别人，

17 both parties to the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD, before the priests and judges who are in office at that time.

17 诉讼双方要站在耶和华面前，让当值的祭司和审判官定夺。

18 The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is proven to be a liar who has falsely accused his brother,

18 审判官要仔细审查案件，如果发现那人作伪证诬陷同胞，

19 you must do to him as he intended to do to his brother. So you must purge the evil from among you.

19 就要按照他企图加给被诬告者的伤害处罚他。这样，就从你们当中除掉了罪恶。

20 Then the rest of the people will hear and be afraid, and they will never again do anything so evil among you.

20 其他人听说后，都会害怕，不敢再做这种恶事。

21 You must show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot.

21 你们对恶人不可心软，要以命偿命，以眼还眼，以牙还牙，以手还手，以脚还脚。